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Santander Piano Competition

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, Xiaolu Zang and Marcel Tadokoro have won first, second and third prizes in the 2022 Santander International Piano Competition this month

 

On 5 August 2022, the Awards Ceremony of the twentieth Santander International Piano Competition was held at the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria's Sala Argenta in Spain.

The event was attended by Santander's Mayoress, Gema Igual; the Health Minister of the Cantabria Regional Government, Raúl Pesquera; the Director General of INAEM (National Stage Arts and Music Institute), Joan Francesc Marco; and the President of Fundación Albéniz and that of the Santander International Piano Competition, Paloma O'Shea.

At the beginning of the gala, after the viewing a commemorative video of the fifty years of the competition and Paloma O'Shea's words, the Finalist Awards were delivered to Yu Nitahara (Japan), Matyáš Novák (Czech Republic) and Domonkos Csabay (Hungary).

Luis Olaya-González, Canon Product Printing and Business Services Director General, together with Notary Rafael Segura Báez, presented the Canon Audience Award to Jaeden Izik-Dzurko. The Prize contains a series of high-end Canon products and has been decided with the voting of the attendees to the Final celebrated on 3 and 4 August at the Palacio de Festivales' Sala Argenta.

Afterwards, the Jury's President, Joaquín Achúcarro, announced the winner of the Special Award to the Best Chamber Music Performer, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, who will have the opportunity to offer a concert with the Cuarteto Casals, guest artists in this edition of the competition and one of the chamber groups of international reference.

Joaquín Achúcarro also read the jury's decision, awarding first, second and third prizes to:

- Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (Canada, twenty-three years old), First Prize and Gold Medal. Wins 30,000 Euros, a tour of concerts around Spain and abroad, as well as the recording of a CD on the Naxos label.

- Xiaolu Zang (China, twenty-two years old), Second Prize, sponsored by Bergé, and Silver Medal. Wins 20,000 Euros and a tour of concerts around Spain and abroad.

- Marcel Tadokoro (France/Japan, twenty-eight years old), Third Prize and Bronze Medal. Wins 10,000 Euros and a tour of concerts around Spain and abroad.

During the Santander International Piano Competition awards gala, from left to right: Marcel Tadokoro, Xiaolu Zang and Jaeden Izik-Dzurko - third, second and first prizewinners, respectively. Photo © 2022 Elena Torcida
During the Santander International Piano Competition awards gala, from left to right: Marcel Tadokoro, Xiaolu Zang and Jaeden Izik-Dzurko - third, second and first prizewinners, respectively. Photo © 2022 Elena Torcida

The three award winners offered the audience a brief performance of thanks, and it was possible to hear from Tadokoro, Jean-Philippe Rameau's Le rappel des oiseaux; Zang chose Precipitate from Sonata No 7 by Sergei Prokofiev, and the first prize, Izik-Dzurko, the first and second movements from Nikolai Médtner's Fairy Tales Op 26.

The competition's awards ceremony was broadcast live on RTVE Play and the Competition's YouTube channel, and deferred at 8pm on TVE's La 2.

Further information: www.santanderpianocompetition.com

Posted 8 August 2022 by Ana Espada

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